Spanish police arrests 89 people in human trafficking ring

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 11: Catalan Autonomous riot police officers stand guard at the first Pegida rally on March 11, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. Pegida Catalonia has called for the first Pegida Spain march in on the 11th anniversary of the 2004 Madrid train bombings. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
(2015 Getty Images)

MADRID (AP) – Spanish police say they have broken up a human trafficking ring and arrested 89 Chinese and Pakistani citizens who were alleged members.

Police said in a statement Saturday the ring sought to smuggle Chinese people into the United States, Canada, Britain and Ireland, with Spain used as a transit country.

The statement said the ring charged each person on average 20,000 euros ($22,700) and worked with other international trafficking gangs.

The investigation began after a growing number of Asians were arrested at Spanish airports with forged or stolen identity documents.

The gang is also suspected of smuggling Chinese people into the European Union across the Turkey-Greece border.